Jack Daniels House No. 7 - Brooklyn Navy Yard

Summer in NYC means epic parties. Jack Daniels Tennesee Whiskey throws a house party like no other. Jack Daniels House No. 7 imagines the lifestyle of a Rock n' Roller on the road right in Brooklyn's Navy Yard.

You check into the venue, the most stylish chambermaids and hostesses give you a key. A team of attractive bellboys gives you a ride in their cart straight.tp the bar. A bar filled with Jack Daniels concoctions of course. My favorites being Jack and ginger beer and lemonade. 

Southern specialties like loaded fries, fried chicken, and mashed potatoes in waffle cones, sweet and tangy Miss Bobo's meatballs keep you fueled up for the festivities.

Up for a physical challenge? Roller derby girls and basketball tricksters will prompt you to up your game. I was never that ambitious, so I opted for the hair makeover at the salon. You could spin the wheel to help you decide on any number of rocker styles. I didn't think I could pull off a Mohawk or mullet so stylist Siobhan Quinlan (with awesomely pink hair) have me a Rockabilly bouffant. I wore a long sheer plaid shirt and leather skirt.

If you wanted some Jack Daniels culture, you could have the barrel master laser etch a piece of Whiskey aged oak for you. For high-tech pursuits, try the virtual reality tour of their headquarters. 

You could get down and dirty in the house rooms that included floor to ceiling pillows, bouncy beds, and karaoke. Access to secret VIP areas could come by impressing the severe team of Dominatrix-like chambermaids by succeeding at challenges they have forth. 

Thank you, Jack Daniels, for rocking my world with a visit to House No. 7!

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Cointreau x Dannijo: The Art of the Soiree

Cedar Lake Events was home to a fantasy indoor garden Wednesday. Cointreau showcased a range of exotic cocktails to start the summer paired with scrumptious bites. The visual senses were seduced by the glittering jewelry from Dannijo, the brand founded by designers Danielle and Jodie Snyder.

Cointreau has been a staple in my bar for years as a key ingredient for my cosmopolitans and margaritas. I tasted several new cocktails that night that I will be adding to my repertoire.

Dannijo jewelry came out of the gate with spectacular statement pieces in 2008. The sisters self-taught themselves to make jewelry using their father's tools. Their label launched from a project to benefit Danielle's non-profit organization to create economic opportunities for women in Africa. Now their jewelry and handbags are sought after by top celebrities and "It" girls around the world.

Tin Can Studios in Brooklyn created the most beautiful decor for the party. There was a gigantic orange tree as the central point of the event space that seemed to bloom Cointreau and glittering jewelry from its branches. Other topiaries were dripping in jewels. The beautiful banquet table was set with wild-looking florals of intense color, stretching out from partial terrariums. The overall effect looked like an organic amethyst.

Platters of vegetables offered innovative flavors along the table. A rich smoked duck appetizer followed. The bar offered up salmon rilettes, pate, and cheese. Servers enticed with desserts like a chocolate tart that looked like tiny flower boxes of dirt and creamsicles that hung off bamboo spirals like tendrils of a vine. Here is a recipe for one of the most refreshing cocktails I sampled:

Cointreau French Lemonade:
2 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz. Cold-pressed Watermelon Juice
3 oz. Club Soda

Build all ingredients over ice in a highball glass. Stir gently. Garnish with a watermelon wedge and lemon wheel.

Thank you Cointreau and Dannijo for a decadent evening! A mix of opulent style, food and drink is a treat indeed.
(photos by Mariana Leung)

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Ms. Fabulous Hosts A Cherry Blossom Boozy Brunch

 Is it spring? Ms. Fabulous and Stretch n' Flow Yoga hosted a boozy brunch to celebrate the city's blooming cherry blossoms. The dress code was garden party chic, hosted at the gorgeous Hudson View Gardens Lounge. 

June Li Lo, director of Stretch n' Flow Yoga conducted an artisanal dumpling demo based on the recipes of her father's restaurant in Philadelphia (see recipe below). Of course, she made it look easy. The skills needed to include finite knife skills and delicate finger manipulation of the delicate wrappers and pleats. Shockingly, the prettiest dumplings were made by designer Byron Lars, who admitted later it "wasn't his first dumpling rodeo." Other guests included other fashion and media colleagues from AMC Networks, First Look Media, Macy's, Gwynnie Bee and Victoria's Secret. 

modern doll cocktail lab enhanced drinks

Cocktails are always a part of a Ms. Fabulous event. Today, they were hibiscus and berry teas spiked with "The Vicious Purple", floral cocktail bitters from Modern Doll Cocktail Lab. There were also mimosas using "Bitter Mandarina" and espresso martinis made with "Cocoa Canelle" a chocolate and cinnamon liqueur.

My outfit for the day was a pastel flared dress by Byron Lars. My pink petal headband is from Weng Meng Design Studio (my design).

Mr. Lo's Pork Dumplings:

1 lb Ground Pork

2 Bunches of Scallions (finely chopped)

2 oz. Bamboo Shoots (finely chopped)

2 oz. Nappa Cabbage (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. Oyster Sauce

1 tsp. Soy Sauce

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

Ground pepper to taste

1 (50 ct) package of Dumpling Wrappers 

1 egg (optional)

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients except the wrappers and egg together in a large bowl.

Place either the egg (beaten) or water in a small dipping bowl. Scoop 1 tsp. of the pork mixture into the middle of a dumpling wrapper held in the palm of your hand. Dip a finger into the water or beaten egg and rub along the edge of the wrapper to act as glue. Gently fold wrapper in half, but do not close it. Use two other fingers to create 3 light pleats along one edge, then pinch the edges closed to create a half-moon shape.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and add your folded dumplings to the pot. When the pot boils again and the dumplings rise (approx. 2-3 minutes) add an additional cup of water to the pot. When the pot boils a second time, repeat with adding an additional cup of water until the pot boils again and the dumplings rise.

Remove the dumplings and serve!

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Viniq Hosts a Ruby Spa Day

Day Two of Ms. Fabulous Cocktail Week. I was treated to an indulgent afternoon at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa in Midtown Manhattan. The host was Viniq Ruby, a gorgeous blend of vodka, berry, Moscato and citrus.

The theme of course, was ruby red. Ruby is my birthstone. Macarons looked like they were encrusted with crushed rubies. Sparkly jello shots made with Viniq looked like little jewels. We were treated to a multi-course cocktail tasting to feature the flavors of Viniq. I personally love the original in purple and the now the new Ruby version in red in the bottle itself. Its' signature look is an iridescent shimmering texture in the bottle as a result of mica being added. This is a sparkling additive usually found in candy and pastry but this is the only brand that featured it in the drink. I'm

The Red Door Spa is one of my favorite places in the city. The posh treatment rooms were like a maze of relaxation. Mini massages got everyone into a zen mood. Guests took turns receiving manicures in different shades of red. The final treatment was to get a fabulous braid creation.

If you're ready to indulge at home (and I will) here is a recipe for the "A-List" cocktail that I am grabbing for up top:

2 oz. Viniq Ruby
3 oz. champagne
Lime

Pour into a champagne glass and served chilled.

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Chocolate & Cocktail Tasting NYC

I admit, this post is not about fashion or beauty. It does include artfully styled cocktails and desserts though. I just had a great time at The Cocktail Guru's Chocolate and Cocktail tasting event and wanted to share.

The event was hosted at URBO in Times Square by my Top Chef crush, Johnny Iuzzini. He looked very sexy in his vest and tattoos, but when you watch him demonstrate a luscious dessert on the Kitchen-Aid, that's when I lose it. Food Network cutie Zac Young was also on hand to entice guests with treats from David Burke Kitchen and Pierre Ferrand Cognac.

Top pastry chefs around the city either paired desserts with liquor or incorporated the libations into them. Of course, actual chocolate flavored cocktails were on hand for tasting as well. Van Gogh Vodka has a huge range of infused vodkas. I was already a fan of their blueberry, but here they had both Dutch Chocolate and Dark Chocolate, as well as Caramel. Their chef, Abby Lavin of Jam Jar bakery paired them with little hot fudge pies.

My other favorites include Hudson Whiskey's infused brownie and mango parfait. Also, have you ever tried chocolate mousse stuffed inside a hibiscus flower? Heavenly. Now I crave something I didn't even know existed. Valrhona chocolate was the key ingredient in many of the event's creations, but you could sample their artisanal chocolates in their pure form.

So now I am inspired to repeat this themed tasting party for myself. My tipsy tea party crew will have to indulge me (my girl Nyree has already nailed this with her amazing liquor drenched cakes).

Check out 7 Ways to Pair Chocolate & Liquor for recipes you can try at home:
by Mariana Leung at Mode

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BACARDI Unveils the Ms. Fabulous Cocktail

It is the ultimate tribute to a fashion blogger to have a cocktail made in your honor.  BACARDI® Mixers has used Ms. Fabulous as a muse to create the “Chocolate Couture”.  The frozen drink made its debut at a soiree I threw for my fashion designer friends. 

 The libation is a delicious mix of strawberry BACARDI® Mixer, pomegranate juice, chocolate and BACARDI® rum.  You can try out the recipe below:

Of course, being a designer and wannabe mixologist, I decided to tweak the presentation of the drink to truly fit the “couture” theme.  Most of the frozen BACARDI® Mixers already contain real fruit juice, so I didn’t need to do anything there.  I love the color red, so I exchanged the chocolate syrup portion to a chocolate liqueur.  I used the syrup as a garnish instead.  I achieved the swirly hearts by using an eye-dropper to drop syrup onto the frozen drink and dragging a toothpick through them.  I added candy ‘pearls” in the middle and the halved strawberry on the rim.  Being able to make these in large pitcher form made it easy to keep the designer’s glasses filled.

 I made sure the nibbles that accompanied the drinks had complementary flavors.  I chose an aged Gouda that had a caramelized flavor and made tarts with goat cheese and figs.  I made mini versions of my favorite Moroccan dish, Bastilla.  It is a sweet/savory pie of buttered phyllo, spiced chicken, toasted almonds and cinnamon sugar.  I finished off with non-dairy chocolate cupcakes with orange frosting and fennel confetti candy.

Tipsy and feeling good about it, my fashionistas friends left the party with gift bags of drink muddlers and caps.   We also vowed to experiment with all of the recipes found the BACARDI®  booklets throughout the summer.  Do you have favorite cocktail for the summer?  Like and Share your recipes on their Facebook page!

BACARDI® Mixers is a premium line of non-alcoholic mixers available in 10 fl. oz cans in the frozen juice aisle. With seven easy-to-make flavors to choose from - including Strawberry Daiquiri, Margarita, and Piña Colada - there are endless ways to make your next party come together instantly! By providing cocktail recipes, party tips and food pairings year round, we continue to give new reasons to blend every day. Find yours at www.facebook.com/bacardimixers

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. ©2013 THE COCA-COLA COMPANY.

©2013 BACARDI AND THE BAT DEVICE ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI & COMPANY LIMITED. BACARDI U.S.A., INC., CORAL GABLES, FL. NON-ALCOHOLIC MIXERS.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by BACARDI® Mixers via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of BACARDI® Mixers.

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